Interest in the Middle Ages seems to be stronger than ever – movies like Kingdom of Heaven and novels such as Pillars of the Earth draw millions of fans, while medieval festivals and museums featuring artifacts from the Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and other medieval societies get tens of thousands of visitors. Scholars have in recent years been examining this interest in all things medieval, and earlier this year an organization was formed to bring them together.
The Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages was founded this spring during the International Congress on Medieval Studies. The society aims to focus on how the general public views the Middle Ages through various media, an to interact with authors, filmakers, festival organizers, etc, who help shape the image of medieval society in the contemporary world.
Paul Sturtevant, one of the founders of the Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages, told Medievalists.net that he wanted to create this society so that the historians and scholars who are examining these issues will have better ways to communicate with each other. “Furthermore,” he adds, “it seems apropos because, at least in the United Kingdom, there is a real push at the moment for academics to better engage their research with the public, and this is a natural way for medievalists to think about doing that.”
The initial goal of the society will be the host sessions at the two largest medieval conferences in the world – International Congress on Medieval Studies at the University of Western Michigan and the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds. They also hope in the future to participate in other conferences and help their members publish their research.
The society is also trying to find scholars interested in the public understanding of the Middle Ages, and is encouraging practitioners in the field (e.g. those who work in museums and public history institutions) to join, as well educators interested in how public understanding of the Middle Ages relates to teaching, research and public policy. Membership is free.
The great interest in medieval times does not surprise Sturtevant, which he notes is not a new phenomenon. He explains, ”I think there has been a large appetite in the general public for medieval things because over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the Middle Ages has been rendered into our most popular collective fantastical and historical playground. It is distanced enough from the present day, both temporally and culturally, that it seems people can enjoy playing with it, and in it. This can lead to serious academic and antiquarian interest as a way of imagining yourself in a historical person’s shoes, but at the same time it leads to recognizably medieval (if not actually medieval) fantasy worlds in which we play, from Grimm to Tolkien to World of Warcraft. While this has occurred with other periods (particularly the Classical world- with its myths and monsters- and the Victorian period- with Gothic or steampunk fantasies), the Middle Ages has, in my opinion, been the default historical period for this kind of play.”
Those interested in the Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages can visit their website at http://publicmiddleages.org.
They also have issued a call for papers for conferences:
ICMS (Western Michigan University), 2011
The Central Issue: What actually do the public think about the Middle Ages?
The public is bombarded by medievalisms every day. They issue from the mouths of political commentators, they give neon delight in video games, they fill textbooks and paperbacks, television screens and museums. As academics, we are hardly immune. These medievalisms have contributed in some small or large way to how we– as member of the public and academic– understand our past and therefore our interpretation of the present, and our fears and hopes for the future.
Many academics write or speak about the public understanding of the Middle Ages, whether their object of study is the understanding of their students or the public more generally. However very little rigorous research has been done on the question of what public actually understands about the Middle Ages today. This panel seeks to open a line of questioning into that important question, and to present new methodologies and tentative ideas for the future exploration of this important topic. Papers are invited from practitioners interested in the topic, whether they be academics, heritage professionals or educators.
IMC Leeds, 2011
Exploring the public understanding of the Middle Ages I, Education: Museums, historical sites and the classroom
Much of the public’s formal education about the Middle Ages ends in primary school. With that being said, millions each year flock to museums and historical sites which present medieval history and culture. This panel focuses upon public education about the Middle Ages, whether that be in the classroom or in the heritage industry. We invite papers on current practice in the heritage industry and the classroom which endeavours to bring the Middle Ages to life for the contemporary public. We also invite papers which explore how the public gleans their historical understandings from these sources.
Exploring the public understanding of the Middle Ages II, Media: ‘High’ culture, pop culture, and public discourse
The second major arena where the public encounters historical narratives about the Middle Ages is the media. The media is not normally a sanctioned educator, but educational and communications theories have proven that they hold significant pedagogical power. This panel welcomes papers on the public understanding of the Middle Ages and how it affects or is affected by media which is part of the continuing process of creating the Middle Ages. For the purposes of this call, we use the term ‘media’ broadly to include ‘high’ and popular culture, and public discourse including academic, political or popular discourses.
Those interested should submit an abstracts (between 250 and 500 words) to publicmiddleages@gmail.com, along with their mailing address and phone number, as well as indicating any need special equipment for the talk (digital projector, etc.). All abstract submissions are due by 15th September, 2010.
